1. Field of the Invention
The invention is a skimmer valve place in a body of liquid or within a system having liquid flow out of a reservoir to effectively skim a layered component fluid from the liquid mixture.
2. Description of Prior Art
In a search of prior art, the following patents were discovered. Several skimmers are located in prior art dealing with tramp oil, coolants or, generically, liquids of differing densities. Most are fairly large and involve multiple tanks and floats with either an electric or manually controlled mechanism. In contrast to the device of the invention which is unique in that it is relatively small and works on a buoyant float mechanism.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,814,213 and 5,601,705, both to Glasgow, surface skimming devices are disclosed which are utilized within a tank having a pump which pumps the skimmed liquid into a second tank, where coalescence occurs, for separation and collection of the lower density material and then returns the separated liquid to a tank. The first patent also concerns an external float which allows the skimmer to remain on the surface of the liquid mixture. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,937 to Lewandowski, a multiple tank and compartment skimming apparatus is disclosed which is used in coolant liquid separation. U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,529 to Becker discloses a coolant recycling apparatus having multiple storage tanks mounted on a wheeled cart for a coolant which is filtered for solids through filters and returned to the coolant containing device from which the coolant was removed. A complex electronically activated and computer controlled radiator coolant cleaning and refining device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,757 to Light. A vacuum operated dry sump system used in filtering a hydraulic circuit. having a heat exchanging component is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,936 to Paredes.
None of these invention, nor other inventions disclosed in prior art appear to disclose the elements contained in this current invention which is a simple skimming filter using a buoyant float skimming apparatus which requires no outside power source or sophisticated monitoring system.